Guaranteed Return?
by cooltiger66
Summary: Steve is a small time miner who can't seem to get good luck in his expeditions. He's sick of always having to go back for his stuff, and hates having to respawn so far away. He begins to wonder what life would be if people couldn't respawn, but that doesn't stop him from carelessly messing up his final expedition. After several attempts, will there no longer be a next time?


Guaranteed return?

A/N: Hi guys and welcome to my first Minecraft fic! Shame its a one shot, but I've already got two stories that I haven't updated in AGES(sorry guys!)So I haven't really got space for more stories. Basically its just a shortish story about not being allowed to respawn in hardcore mode (therefore not being able to recollect items) and how we don't realise how important spawn points are until we don't have them. Criticism is welcome, and don't forget to leave a comment. I like learning from my mistakes : ). R&R and enjoy!

I opened my eyes and instantly bolted out of my bed and knelt on the floor screaming in anguish.

This is getting ridiculous!

This is the eighth time I've gone into a mine and had this happened! its always the same thing! I'm always happy and jolly and about to come out with a mother load of diamonds when some fricking creeper comes out of NOWHERE and blows me to smithereens. If I keep this up, how am I going to pay rent let alone feed myself! I'm rolling over the floor with my hands viscously tugging my hair and crying at my loss. I had 52 diamonds! _52_!

I want to destroy myself.

I leaned on the foot of my bed and groaned loudly. Now I would have to walk 12 miles to that same mineshaft and I'm sure by then my stuff would have despawned. I gave an annoyed sigh as I pull myself up and sit cross legged at the foot of my bed. Can't we keep inventory when we die? It's pretty stupid to have to walk from your spawn to your death point just to collect your items. I scowled at my bed with its stupid common red cover. Stupid bed, I can't even move it because if I die I'll have no spawn! And why aren't beds customisable? This stupid red cover is Beginning to annoy me. It feels weird to sleep in the same covers all the time and besides, I don't even like red!

I placed my head in my arms and almost started crying again. I had my only diamond pickaxe in my inventory! My ONLY one! How the hell am I supposed to reach the Nether now? I bit my lip to stop myself from yelling. I was such an idiot! I should have just made an iron one instead!

I got up, suddenly determined. Next time, if there is one, I WON'T bring my only Diamond Pickaxe with my unless i'm mining obsidian. I will NOT be ambushed by those stupid, grieving creepers! I will NOT use up all of my food supplies and leave myself at one heart! And most importantly I WILL NOT LOSE 52 FRICKING DIAMONDS!

I promise my self that next time I will NOT screw up and have all my effort go to waste so I can actually pay my rent this month!

I paused at this. My landlord charges a ridiculous amount of diamonds per week in return for a pokey wooden hut that consisted of a bed, a mirror, a table and a chair. No paintings. No wallpaper. No carpet. Just plain wood. So on the other hand, maybe I'll just kill my landlord with my awesome enchanted diamond sword that I have yet to craft. That would be AWESOME. I let out a bloodthirsty laugh and started to randomly fist punch into the air. I was barking on about my future glory before I noticed my sister, Amethyst standing in the doorway, giving me a stare that told me I probably looked half mad. I literally sweat-dropped.

Awkward...

"Oh um hey sis?" I said awkwardly, trying to break the ice.

My sister raised one eyebrow at me, smirking in a similar fashion as a predator about to devour its pay.

"So, you've finally fallen in to the stress of debt and continuous failure," she teased, all the while that stupid smirk still plastered on her face.

I growled in reply.

Ever since she turned 18, she's always been picking on me because I'm poorer than her. When we were younger, we made a bet that whoever got the most money by eighteen would earn our family's inheritance and land. Our parents didn't know of this and probably would have tried to stop us if we did. We're non-identical twins, Amethyst being the older twin, but we weren't as close as people thought we should be. We couldn't trick people into thinking we were the other twin even when we were small because we aren't identical. Bit of a bummer really.

I always found it hard to learn at first, but I tried hard and gradually improved. Amethyst always mucked about and didn't study much. But she suddenly got serious after sixteen, and became much better than me, and started her own coal mining business by the time she was seventeen. So its obvious who won the bet. I don't know how she managed to get a business at that age, but I know she's filthy rich and won't give me a dime

because of the stupid bet we made when we were 12.

It's awful when we go round to our parents town at Christmas and Birthdays. Amethyst always goes on about some stupid contract or business deal and how much money she'll get out of it. Mum and Dad coo and praise like she's a queen before turning to me and asking what _I_ was up to. Then I'll tell them I'm a full time miner earning about 10 diamonds a week and they give me disapproving looks and lecture me about not using my education to my extent when I was younger. Like I didn't try.

Last Christmas, Amethyst started blabbing about some rich dude she was getting married to sometime next year. It was yippee, yippee, and then my parents asked about _my_ love life. I wanted to crawl into a hole and die.

Amethysts never let that one go.

She always uses my financial position against me and it's annoying as _hell_. Sure she can be nice, but most of the time we're at each others throats.

I frowned when I remembered what she'd just said.

"No, just having a break thats all," I replied, still ticked off at her statement. Ha, me going mad. As if.

"Whatever you say bro... Anyways, I didn't come here for a visit, I just wanted to invite you to a Hunger games match nearby... If you want to go?" She asked, eyebrow still raised.

I stared at her. Was she serious? I'd read the Hunger games book, but I didn't know we could do it in real life!

"Eh? The hunger games? You mean like the book?" I asked, just to make sure she wasnt pranking me.

"Yup, it's pretty cool, i'm surprised you haven't seen one yet. You basically start by running to the chests at the spawn, and grab as many items as you can, useful or not. The player posts are all the same distance away from the chests forming a circle around them, so no one can get any advantages. You kill on sight, and after a certain time, the survivors are teleported to the death-match were they fight to the death. The last player standing obviously wins."

"So they kill each other? Isn't that kinda cruel?" I asked, terrified. How can killing other people be part of a game? Wouldn't it hurt to be killed by someone else? No ones done that to me before. I certainly would be pretty miffed if I was part of that game though.

"So? It's entertaining. The players wont lose anything because the start off with no items and each round only lasts a few rounds. And besides, they respawn in the spectators area so its not like their souls will split in half because they were murdered. I'm sure it doesn't hurt that much. Don't you want to come? It'll keep your mind of bills and you'll enjoy yourself."

I hesitated. I should really spend my time heading back to the mineshaft to mine some diamonds, because I know running away from the problem only makes things worse, and I learnt that the hard way. On the other hand, I really need to loosen up. Maybe just this once.

"Hurry up! The match is starting in 15 minutes!" Amethyst nagged, glancing at her gold wristwatch and tapping her foot impatiently.

"Sure! I guess It'll be fun! Let me just get my coat and Ill be outside,"I said, all hesitation lost. After all, who knows when an opportunity like this would pass again?

"Kay, I'll be waiting outside. Do hurry up, you always take forever to find your coat," Amethyst said as she walked out side and started down the steep hill that lead to the central area of my village.

I hastilly grabbed my coat and rushed outside the door, grabbing some bread on the way out.

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I stared in awe at the gigantic stadium we were walking towards.

It had a massive spectators box were we would be sitting in, as Amethyst had pointed out. The entire map was pretty big, so we were allowed to move up and down the spectator area to follow the players we wanted to win. The map consisted of a small town, with a mini forest Biome branching of and part of a tundra Biome along the circumference. I was sure my mouth was wide open, but I didn't care until Amethyst nudged me and said I was making a fool of myself.

We took our seats and Amethyst slumped down with a slightly bored expression that made her look like she saw this kind of stuff every day. I couldn't even sit still! I peered over the balcony and got a glimpse of the players below, not looking up despite the numerous fangirl shrieks ringing through the air. Amethyst literally had to drag me back to my seat when the tournament finally started. I nearly flew out it again at the sound of shot given out to show that the game had started.

It wasn't that interesting at first. The players kept moving far away from each other so I couldn't watch them all at once on the massive screens in the first class box. I found the lightning pretty interesting, but the player count was a bit scary. How could 24 players get killed of so quickly? Amethyst had gotten bored after mentioning that it wasn't as interesting as usual, and had nodded off lightly snoring in her seat, slumped into an S-shape.

I was beginning to wonder what would happen if everyone was killed before the death-match, when the death-match itself started. All five remaining players were teleported to the death-match stadium that was pretty close to the box so I didn't have to rely on the television screens. I grimaced as I saw a blonde girl in diamond armour kill a guy with leather leggings with a bucket of lava.

That girl was brutal. She killed three more with the lava that she cornered them into, then threw the remaining player of the edge into a lava pit below. Don't know who she was, but she seemed to prefer lava to swords.

Amethyst choose that moment to awaken from her deep slumber and proceed to drag me out.

"WAIT! What happened to the players? Are they okay?" I questioned. Where were they? The match was over and they were nowhere to be seen!

"Ugh, Steve your such a _noob_! They're fine! Now lets go! I wanna eat!" she whined pushing me downstairs. I scowled and dug my feet into the ground as much as possible. If she was going to force me out, I certainly wasn't going to make it easy for her.

"Can't we stay for another match? It's interesting!" I whined back.

"No! I want to get something to eat! Now stop being difficult and let us leave without causing a scene!" she hissed threateningly.

I stopped digging in my feet and scowled as my stupid older sister dragged my out of the stadium. The thing that annoys me the most about my sister is her appetite. We never see the same when it comes to food. When she's hungry, she wouldn't care if she's in the middle of a battle field as long as she's hungry, she'll refuse to fight. Jeez, she's more stubborn than me! I glared at her and shook her hand off and speed-walked to catch up with her speedy pace.

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I sighed as I trudged over to my front door and slammed it Shut.I walked straight over to my bed and jumped in, tucking the duvet around me. It felt weird to sleep so early in the afternoon, but after todays events I think I need a well deserved rest. I didn't get much sleep before my last expedition into the mineshaft so I need to catch up.

Aah, home sweet home. As I curl up in my comfy, soft woollen bed, I wonder how I could have ever hated it. I wonder what would happen if we didn't have beds? If we couldn't respawn? What if our souls floated into an endless void of black, never to return?

I shivered at the thought. As a child, my parents taught me and Amethyst about the creation of minecraftia and how Notch made this and Notch made that. We didn't take it seriously at the time, but now I wish I'd payed more attention. I wonder if it says anywhere that there was another way of dying apart from old age? If there is I hope I wont be aware. The last thing I want is to float in an endless void for all eternity. My mind drifted to the players in the Hunger games match I saw today. How could someone devise such a weird way to take advantage of the fact that we can respawn? What if one day, the players never respawned? What if they despawned forever? My mind was soon corrupted by worrying possibilities and I was finding it hard to get any rest. I squeezed my eyes shut and turned over in a desperate attempt to fall asleep.

I needed to get lots of rest tonight, so I can't afford to keep myself awake with frivolous theories. Tomorrow, I have to go to that mineshaft and finish my job once and for all...

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I gave a determined smile as I fasten my iron helmet tight around my head. Tonight was the night! I will not screw up and I will successfully return home with at least 30 diamonds.

If I don't, I'll just run away before my landlord kicks me out.

I sheathed my enchanted iron sword and put on my my leather chest-plate and my gold leggings before heading over to my small mirror in one corner of my room. I looked a right mess in a mixture of almost useless armour, but I couldn't care less. If I have enough diamonds left over, I could start making myself a decent set of diamond armour. Or at least a full set of iron armour. I grabbed my both of my iron pickaxes from my table; one was almost broken whilst the other had a decent amount of durability left. I decided to take four stone pickaxes form mining stone and iron so I could keep my iron pickaxes for the Diamonds.

Now I'm pretty much set. I have enough cooked pork chops to keep me out of starvation and I managed to craft an enchanted golden apple for emergency regeneration. As I step out of my rotting wooden door, I promise myself I'll replace it with an iron one. I twisted the mouldy knob to close the door and winced when it came of in my hand. Sighing, I headed East into a large Jungle Biome, following the all-too-familiar path to the abandoned mineshaft, only this time I'll return with accomplishment.

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I coughed and spluttered when I entered the cave atmosphere; particles of dirt were corrupting my windpipe and it wasn't pleasant.

Once I'd recovered from my unexpected coughing fit, I ventured further into the lit up cave system. As I traveled down, I came across a zombie or two, but not an entire horde. I was surprised at first before I realised I'd taken out most of the mobs in this area and lit it up with torches to prevent anything else from spawning. As I was getting closer to lava level, I searched around for the block of spruce log I'd put near the entrance of the mineshaft and jumped down the hole behind it. I grunted as I hit the ground with a nasty thud that took up four and a half hearts. I had to do something about that drop, it was pretty risky.

I stood up and turned around and faced two directions that branched of the main pathway. I paused and pondered for a moment over what direction I should head in. I'm pretty sure I went left last time? Or was it right? They both have torches so I can't find any way to differ between the two of them that easily.

How could they be so completely identical?!

I sighed in frustration and headed into the pathway on the right. After all, right is better than left isn't it? I whistled and ran my fingers against the wall as I speed-walked through the endless row of torches. When I got to the end of the row of torches I stopped. There were 5 directions to take from there and my mind was blank.

I struggled to remember which way I went last time, that is if i'd even turned right. In the end I went to the far right and almost screamed when I turned the corner and saw around twelve creepers about five meters away from me. I ran like hell and sealed of the entrance as quickly as possible. Wow if I'd provoked them I would have been screwed.

I was a lot more careful from then. I chose the pathway straight ahead so it was easy to see ahead of me, and literally ninja rolled about to avoid any nasty surprises. After passing through a massive ravine, I finally discovered a cave system I hadn't cleared out yet.

Before I started into the dark abyss I looked for some torches in my inventory. I cursed when I realised I'd left the stack of 64 torches on my table. How could I forget one of the most important things a miner needs when exploring a cave? I'm so _stupid_!

Nonetheless, I stumbled and tripped about the cave system, hoping a creeper wont come and finish me of...

I looked straight ahead and smiled when I saw the orangey glow of lava in the distance. This was good. If I'm at lava level,there should be a lot of diamonds around.

I made my way down the slippery path and yelled as something furry touched my shoulder in the dark. I shook my shoulders and bolted towards the cave with lava, which turned out to be a ravine. When I got to the edge, I whipped out my sword, and got into a battle stance. I saw something shifting in the shadows, getting closer and closer...

Then out comes a fricking BAT?! I screamed in annoyance at the fact that a stupid bat had wasted my time like that. It innocently fluttered out of my reach and made its way over the lava and further down the ravine.

Hell no! That bat MUST die. I shrieked like a banshee and ran like wild along the edge of the ravine, determined to get my revenge against that stupid prankster bat. I cant believe I'm getting so worked up over a bat. Wow, I'm lame. The bat stopped in mid air and just fluttered about, looking from left to right cautiously as if looking for danger. Stupid bat, is it blind or something? I'm right next to it! I picked out 5 pieces of cobblestone and slowly started building a bridge over the lava praying I don't fall in...

Thats right little bat, just stay there...

"MWAH" I screamed and lunged towards the winged mammal. The bat suddenly came to its senses and easily dodged my attack, which put me in an awkward position.

I was leaning right over the lava pit.

I gasped in surprise and quickly attempted to regain my balance, floundering my arms about as if they were wings. I finally steadied and sighed in annoyance at the stupid stunt I just pulled. I looked to my damn bat is _still_ here!

Well since I'm up here all ready, I might as well...

I backed up, then sprinted of the edge with surprising speed. I took it by surprise and it squealed and tried to bite me whilst struggling to support all of my weight. At this point I didn't care that I was dangling over a pit of lava, with a bat to rely on. In fact, did I ever tell you I'm never scared of heights, even at thirty blocks above a lake of bubbling molten rock right below me? The bat struggled to cross the ravine, but could barely keep itself in the air. I don't even know HOW its possible for a puny bat to handle the weight of a fully grown man! The bat tried to squirm out if my grip, but ceased when it realised it was losing health. I took out my sword. This bat is DEAD! It suddenly made an awkward swerve forward, which made my summersault in midair. I took the opportunity to stab the stupid pest, and jumped on its falling body, and landed on the nearby ledge. I leaned over as I saw the bat plummet to its inevitable doom and smirked. Rotten pesk.

All of a sudden, the floor beneath me started to crumble away, started from the edge I was standing on. WHAT THE HELL!? GRAVEL! Oh jeez...

I screamed as the floor below me disappeared and stared in fear at the pool of lava coming closer, and closer.

I was cut of abruptly by the hot lava that had swallowed me up and was now taking out my hearts, one by one and fast. The annoying sensation of the lava's radiating heat barely bothered me as I desperately tried to find a ledge I could climb onto.

_Eight hearts_

No! This cant end here! I need this opportunity! I need those diamonds! I cant give up! I WONT give up!

_Five hearts_

I franticly turned around, and spotted a lone block in the middle of the lava...

_Three hearts_

I struggled to swim in the uncomfortable substance of the lava all the while thanking Notch that lava isn't as painful as it looks.

_One heart_

Almost there...

_You died. _

I instantly stopped moving. I'm useless. Now I'm going to go through the same process over and over again. Why do I have to let people down, most of all myself? is it that hard to get a bit of money coming in? Am I that terrible at mining? Or am I just cursed? Maybe my parents don't even love me; I'm such a disaster. Not even Amethyst, my own twin sister loves me. Maybe I should just give up now...its been too long. Being homeless isnt as bad as it seems anyways...

I closed my eyes and waited for the despawning process to start and for my mind to gradually slip away...

Only I didn't despawn.

Out of nowhere, a searing pain enveloped my entire body, filling it with intense heat. I gasped in pain, and instantly regretted it when a gallon of lava entered my mouth, and started eating away at my gums, before forcing its way down my throat, chocking me in the process. I flailed around, hoping to grab onto the block that was so close to me when I died...

But why wasn't I dead? Why am I suffering?! I toiled about the thick magma, and opened my eyes when I felt it beginning to eat away at my skin. My eyes were instantly fried, and my insides were screaming at me to shut them. I couldn't. I could no longer see the blood red of my surroundings, but just an empty black.

I was _scared_.

My skin felt like it was nothing more than a sheet of paper and peeled of with ease as the lava began to devour my flesh. It was an incredibly fast process, and before I knew it, it was like I had no flesh at all. I stopped chocking and gurgling, but the pain continued, yet it never killed me.

I was blind.

Where was the block? I weakly lifted my hand out of the lava, and shaking, placed my hand back down on a solid block. I smiled; a gruesome one, but a smile. My jaw bone snapped and I screamed in agony. I gripped the solid block, and tried to lift myself out of the pit of torture. My arm was thin, almost like bone as it struggled against the block of stone. It started wobbling badly, then I heard something snap. I plunged back into the deep fire, the pain worse than ever. It took me a few seconds to realise my hand had fallen off. I stopped moving. I wasn't dead; it still hurt like hell. My shoulders loosened, and I became completely stationary. My mind finally slipped away, as I finally let myself succumb to the fiery depths.

_Game Over_

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Amethyst's P.O.V.

I turned over in my sleep, and opened my eyes. I know me and Steve have never been as close as twins should be, but why do I feel like something just went wrong?

A/N: Hoped you liked! I managed to get this done in four and a half days which I'm pleased about. It also the longest I've ever written at a time and I'm pretty happy.

In case I didn't explain it well, Steve is a small time miner in a LOT of debt (especially with his landlord) and is desperate to get some money coming in. When he's in the lava pit, he expects he's just going to die and respawn again, and is accepting his fate of being homeless. But for some odd reason he wont die. Instead, he experiences a more realistic version of swimming in lava, which literally vaporises his flesh. When his arm snaps off, its because he's arms bone is exposed, the same as most areas of his body. Eventually, he gives up and the lava finally allows him to die. For good.

The whole point of the hunger games match was to get Steve thinking about what would happen if people couldn't respawn, where they would go and if it was possible. In return, he gets killed.

He was kind of undecided on whether he liked the hunger games or not. He thought it was fun and all, but at the same time he found it worrying that people would kill one another for the sake of a game.

Amethyst is Steve's nonidentical twin sister and took the family fortune when she grew up because she won the bet. Their parents didn't know of this, and had given both if them the money to manage when they reached eighteen. So they thought Steve had foolishly squandered all of his money and wasted his education when really, he didn't get any of it at all. Amethyst doesn't hate Steve, and he doesn't hate her, but their always at war with each other to prove to the world whose better.

I hoped that cleared up anything I missed out and I hope you enjoyed! Please leave a review telling me if you liked it or not, or how I can improve. If you think the summaries bad, or I rated it wrong, don't be afraid to tell me so I don't make the same mistake twice. Any who, good day to you all and I'll be back soon!(hopefully)

~ cooltiger ~


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